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Dining Norwegian Star takes dining to new dimensions in cruising, mostly due to the variety of eating places and cuisine, not the quality of the food. Generally, the food is fine and bountiful, and while it is rarely outstanding, most passengers are content with it. Three of the 10 restaurants charge approximately $10 for a reservation, but they are well worth the cost. Two other restaurants require reservations but do not charge a fee. The food in the specialty restaurants was substantially better than that in the two main restaurants and the buffets, with the French Le Bistro and the Asian restaurants drawing particularly high praise. Prepare you're taste buds and appetites for the world-renown cuisines and pastries like no other. Are you ready? It doesn't matter whether you're in the mood for the casual atmosphere of a Cafe or the formal scene of a restaurant. Which ever the dining preference you prefer, you'll find exactly what you're looking for aboard Norwegian's Norwegian Star. If you acquire a sweet tooth that has a craving for some type of sweets, you'll find pleasurable accommodations.
Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered the concept of Freestyle dining, with multiple large restaurants and intimate specialty dining venues. Guests who prefer standard dining, same time every evening, same table and table mates, can notify the maitre d' upon boarding and arrange to do just that. For the rest of us, Freestyle offers a flexibility that allows for a more relaxed dining experience. On the Mexican Riviera itinerary, for example, the ship doesn't leave Acapulco until the wee hours so rather than rush back, you can dine in the main restaurants until 10 p.m., in the Garden Cafe until 9 p.m.(and have snack items until midnight), or in the Blue Lagoon all night. And there is 24 hour room service in case you are just too exhausted from your day's activities to make it to any of the restaurants. The key to cruising with NCL is: options. And in no place do you get more flexibility than in the dining room. With “Freestyle Cruising,” NCL gives you the option of eating when, where, and with whom you choose. There are no scheduled dinner seatings and you can eat anytime between 5:30 and midnight at the main dining rooms, and even later at some of the restaurants! Built with “Freestyle Cruising” in mind, the Star offers no less than 10 separate dining facilities to choose from, with 11 distinctive menus specializing in Italian, Spanish, French, Asian and Hawaiian cuisine, along with casual cafes and modern eateries. Former White House Executive Chef, Henry Haller oversees all kitchen operations, and you’ll find the cuisine is fresh and delicious, and all meals are cooked to order, rather than prepared banquet style. The Star has even taken special consideration for the smaller cruisers out there. In the buffet restaurant there’s a special children’s area with low-level serving counter and kid-sized tables and chairs! Versailles Restaurant Louis XIV would be proud. Just because there are more options than ever on the Star doesn't mean that you can't have a more traditional dining experience if you choose. With "Freestyle Cruising," you can eat at this main dining room every night and wear a tux on formal night, or eat everywhere but this dining room and come dressed as you please! Aqua Restaurant How about something a little lighter? Unlike dining on most ships, the Star's two main dining rooms offer different menus, so if nothing looks appealing on one menu, simply head for the other dining room (or one of the 9 other eateries!)! This room is styled in a contemporary manner and offers a lighter, modern menu, featuring recipes from Cooking Light Magazine. Le Bistro Bon Appetite! Blue Lagoon Restaurant If you have hunger that just won't be satisfied by room service, or if you need some refreshment after a long day of shopping, head for this 24-hour restaurant, located on Deck 7. Here you'll find a food court-style eatery featuring hamburgers, fish and chips, pot pies, and wok fast food such as noodle dishes and chop suey. Ginza Restaurant This Japanese restaurant features an a la carté section, a sushi and tempura bar, and a teppanyaki room with two tables. Watch your food as it's being sliced, diced, and cooked on a grill - or eat food that doesn't have to be cooked at all! A la carte. The SoHo Room Looking for a "meat and potatoes" kind of meal? Look elsewhere. But if crab and shitake ravioli, tuna kebabs, or a wasabi seafood salad sound good, try them here at this Pacific Rim restaurant. Here the East meets the West meets the South Seas, featuring a fusion of Californian, Hawaiian and Asian cuisine. Like the cuisine, the décor is contemporary and trendy and has an art gallery-feel, featuring a collection of modern pop art. Market Café A day of sunbathing really works up the appetite! This indoor/outdoor buffet-style restaurant features NCL's trademark food "action stations" featuring prepared-to-order omelets, waffles, fruit, soups, ethnic specialties, and pasta. Not to mention 130 yards of buffet selections! There's even a special section of this eatery that features kid-sized tables and chairs so they can eat with their peers. You'll find this eatery on Deck 12, aft of the pool. La Trattoria During the day, the Market Café is a combination of buffets and "action stations," but at night, part of the restaurant transforms into this casual Italian restaurant serving pasta, pizza and other popular Italian fare. Cagney‘s Steakhouse Stay in the Loop! New for the Norwegian Star is this 1930’s-era American steak house. The concept works well on sister ship Norwegian Dawn – quality steaks & ribs and all the feel-good fixings – and a Chicago-style atmosphere, too! James would be proud. Tex Mex & Tapas Olé! Molé! Tamales and tapas live together in this new restaurant. Graze through dinner or settle in for a hearty meal here in this “something-for-everyone” restaurant. Dishes include black bean soup with chorizo, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and Mexican chocolate mascarpone cheesecake. For a beverage, try the sangria! Sprinkles Ice Cream Bar I scream, you scream… Chocoholic Midnight Buffet Chocoholics be warned this buffet contains chocolate cream pies, chocolate cakes, chocolate cookies, chocolate candies, and much, much more... So what are you waiting for? Loosen your belts and dive in! Room Service Sometimes things are just too comfortable in your cabin to leave (especially if you're staying in the Garden Villa Suite!). Times like this call for room service, serving up delicious hot and cold snacks, salads, soups, and sandwiches 24 hours a day. And now you can get pizza delivery too! You might never want to leave your room… Restaurants The ships' 10 restaurants and the freedom to dine whenever you want during the vastly expanded dining hours are the most outstanding features. At night, some passengers dabble, only trying a few restaurants during the week, while others try to eat in all 10 before the last night. Norwegian Star's two main restaurants are the Versailles and the Aqua, both seating 375. The menu differences between the two every night are slight; Aqua claims to offer a lighter and more modern interpretation. Versailles, with its dramatic staircase entrance, huge wall of windows overlooking the wake, and ornate decor, is far more popular than Aqua, which seems almost bland in comparison despite its open galley displaying the preparation of desserts. The extra-tariff restaurants are all worth trying. Seating only 66, Le Bistro is the most intimate restaurant and serves probably the best food on this ship in a cozy, elegant surrounding. Not to be missed is the Asian restaurant, Ginza, with a sushi bar, sake bar and separate Teppanyaki room in addition to a larger section offering Thai-Japanese-Chinese specialties. With many of its chefs and serving staff (dressed in ethnic Asian outfits) coming from Malaysia-based Star Cruises, the Ginza Restaurant is an authentic Asian experience and has a la carte menu pricing. Cagney's Steakhouse is a 1930s-style American steak house decorated in a Western theme. (This venue was added during the 2004 refit and replaces the Las Ramblas Tapas Bar.) These restaurants require reservations but do not have an additional charge: La Trattoria transforms from part of the Lido into a more romantic Italian restaurant every night. The SoHo is a contemporary "Pacific Rim" restaurant which has a private dining room available for a group of 6-10 people. It is adorned with Warhol-inspired paintings. Presentation was clever, including Ahi Tuna served on an upside-down Martini glass; diners have the option of choosing their own lobster from a tank. Endless Summer is the Tex Mex and Tapas style restaurant aboard Star in the middle of the Atrium. A surprisingly large number of people dine at the casual Lido buffet every night, the Market Cafe. With so many other options available, none of which require dressing up for dinner, I preferred trying the ship's more interesting restaurants, and tended to avoid the sub-par food found in the Lido for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A good feature is the separate kids area in the lido restaurant. The Blue Lagoon is a 24-hour eatery that resembles a cross between a cheap diner and children's playground, with very basic food like hamburgers and tomato soup as well as a few Asian dishes. There is also an outdoor grill and BBQ on most days, as well as a limited ice cream bar and the Java Cafe, featuring premium coffees and dessert at an extra price. |
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